Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) deployments often suffer from video quality problems. These problems include single bit errors caused by line noise. The bits errors are transformed into packet loss by checksum algorithms at the link and transport layers operated in the video receiver.
It is necessary to characterize these video quality problems in order to then improve the video experience for IPTV subscribers. Unfortunately, most IPTV deployments deliver IPTV to subscribers via the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The UDP does not provide the information needed for thoroughly analyzing real-time media streams. For example, UDP packets do not include packet sequence numbers and packet timestamps needed to detect dropped packets and packet jitter.